Guide device for rolling-mills



4 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

H. AIKEN. GUIDE DEVICE FOR ROLLING MILLS.

Patented Oct. 25, 1892.

wzmss SE-S.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets.Sheet 2. H. AIKEN. GUIDE DEVICE FOR ROLLING MILLS.

No. 484,768. Patented Oct. 25, 1892.

wrrnzssgs (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

H. AIKEN. GUIDE DEVICE FOR ROLLING MILLS.

No. 484,768. Patented 00t. 25, 1892.

4 Sheets Sheet 4.

(No Mo 'dei) H. AIKEN.

GUIDE DEVICE FOR ROLLING MILLS.

:No. 484,768. Patented 001;. 25, 1892.

WITNESSES m mums mm 120., momutum, wAsHmcn'oN, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

HENRY AIKEN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

GUIDE DEVICE FOR ROLLING- MILLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,768, dated October25, 1892.

Application filed December 5, 1891. $erial No. 414,081. (N 0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY AIKEN, of Pittsburg, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Guide Devices for R011- ing-Mills, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a sectional plan View of my improved mill,tho part at theright hand of the sheet being shown in horizontal section on the planeof the guides. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line IIII of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aview showing the rolls in front elevation andthe guides in vertical cross-section on the line III III of Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a vertical cross-sectional view through one of the feed-rollers onthe line IV IV of Fig. 2.

In Figs. 3 and 4: I show by dotted lines and full lines, respectively,the different positions assumed by the guides in lifting the metal fromthe lower passes to the upper passes of the rolls and in shifting itlaterally.

My invention relates to an improvement on the rolling-mill guidesdescribed in a prior patent, No. 449,511, granted to me on March 31,1891. The following quotation from the specification of that patent willexplain the general purpose and advantages of my invention with relationto the prior state of the art: Heretofore in the operation of rolls forrolling rods or bars of iron or steel in which the metal is reduced byalternate back-andforth passes it has been the most common practice toemploy men to stand on opposite sides of the rolls to receive the metalas it is delivered, to turn it one-fourth round for the purpose ofeffacing the fins produced at the preceding pass, and to reinsert itagain into the guides to pass in the reverse direction. The position ofthese men is somewhat dangerous, the work is arduous, and addsconsiderably to the cost of manufacture. Their presence at the rollsalso causes a practical limit to the production of the mill. They cannotgive attention to more than one rod passing through one stand of rollsat once, since any greater number would so crowd the space about therolls that the men would not have suflicient room to perform theirduties safely and efficiently.

It is the object of my invention to provide improved mechanical meansfor performing this work of receiving, guiding, and deliver ing themetal, thus cheapening the cost of the product by diminishing the numberof men necessary to be employed to tend the rolls and increasing theoutputby enabling anumber of rods or metal pieces to be passed throughthe different grooves or passes of the rolls at the same time. By use ofmyimprovement, which I am about to describe, I obtain all the advantagesderived from the removal of this Work from the uncertain care andlimited capacity of human labor and putting it in charge of a reliableand surely-acting machine.

To describe my improvement generally, I employ, in connection with a setof three-high rolls and their feed-tables, a series of guides mounted oneach of the tables, so as to move vertically therewith between the upperand the lower passes. These guides are provided with mechanism by whichon the rise and fall of the tables they are shifted laterally and alsoturned laterally, so that they not only move the metal piece sidewisefrom a pass in one vertical plane to one in another plane, but also turnthe piece about ninety degrees. There may be guides of this sort on bothsides of the rolls relatively arranged so that on the rise of the tablesthe guides on one side are moved a short distance in one' direction andthe guides on the other side in the opposite direction, and vice versa,on the descent of the table. After the first pass through the rolls themetal rod is received by one of the shifting guides, and when thefeed-table is elevated, carrying the guide and rod with it, the guide isshifted and turned laterally, thus automatically moving the metal to thenext pass and turning it into proper position to enter the same. On itsemerging from the other side of the rolls it enters one of the secondseries of shifting guides and passes upon the feed-table, its motionbeing arrested before its end has passed the guide. On the next descentof the table the guide, with the metal, is automatically shiftedlaterally in the same direction, brought into position before the lowerroll-pass, and on reversing the feed-table is caused to enter the same.On emerging it enters the second of the firstnamed series of guides, andso on, until the metal has traversed all the passes of the rolls and hasbeen completely reduced.

In the accompanying drawings I show my invention applied tothree-highrolls with vertically-moving feed-tables, and although in suchcombination it is specifically claimed it should be understood that itis not limited thereto, and that within the scope of the broader claimsit may be applied to use in connection with two-high rolls adapted to bereversed after each pass of the metal.

Referring now to the drawings,'2 represents the housings of a three-highset of rolls 3, which may be constructed and arranged in the usualmanner,being provided with series of grooved passes successivelydiminishing in size and of proper relative shape, the metal being passedbetween the bottom and middle rolls, then lifted. and passed in thereverse direction through the next succeeding pass between the top andmiddle rolls, and so on.

In order to transfer the metal from the upper to the lower passes, Iemploy verticallymovable feed-tables 4, of which only the front portionof the table at on one side of the rolls is illustrated, the other tablebeing of similar construction. These tables maybe of any of thewellknownforms-for example, like those shown in my said patent, No. 449,511,which are pivoted at their rear ends on cross-shafts, on which, by meansof a lifting cylinder and suitable mechanism,they are radially movablein a vertical direction. A table of this class is known as a tiltingtable; but it willbe understood that for purposes of my invention tablesmovable vertically in diderent manner may be employed.

Each of the tables is provided with a suitable number of feed-rollers 5,connected by gearing 6 and shafts 7 with each'other and with a suitablemotor, (not shown,) bywhich they are driven so as to move the metaltoward the rolls. I prefer that the feed-rollers should not becylindrical in form, but that they should be stepped, as shown in Fig.1, the different steps corresponding in diameter to the positions of theseveral roll-passes with which they coact in feeding and receiving themetal.

At the delivery side of each of the roll-passes is a fixed guide 8,secured to the housings by supporting-bars 9 inthe manner shown in Figs.1 and 2. To co-operate with these guides in receiving, turning, andshifting the metal piece,I employ the shifting guides above mentioned,the use of which forms the principle feature of my invention.

10 10 are cross-bars situate near the inner end of the feed-table frame.The shifting guides 11, which are of tubular or box shape, are pivotallyconnected by pins 12 to these cross-bars, and are set parallel with eachother at proper distances apart, conformably to the relative location ofthe roll-passes, the pins 12 being adapted to permit to the guidesalateral radial oscillation, as hereinafter described. The reason foremploying two supporting cross-bars and two sets of pivotal connectionsis to increase the strength of the apparatus but this is not essential.The several guides are provided with radial arms 13, fixed to the guidesand projecting downwardly from the pivotal connections 12. These arejoined at their ends by connecting-rods 14, there being, preferably,'aset of these arms and connecting-rods beneath each of the supportingcross-bars 10. The several guides are thus connected, and it is clearthat if the rods 14 be moved lengthwise they will act on the arms 13 andcause each of the guides to turn laterally and radially on its pivot 12.To efiect this motion of the parts is the object of the apparatus now tobe described.

15 16 are levenarms which are pivoted to the feed-table frame by meansof a connecting-shaft 17, to which they are fixed and which insurestheir simultaneous motion. One of these lever-arms 15 ispivotallyconnected at its outer end by a double or universal joint 23 to alink18, which at its lower end is secured by a similar joint 19 to the housings of the rolls or other fixed point, the purpose of these jointsbeing to enable the link to adjust itself in position during thevertical and radial motion of the arm 15 with the feed-table. This arm15 is also pivotally con nected by a link 20 with an arm of one of theguide-arms 13, which for this purpose is made in the form of atriangular lever or bellcrank. (Marked 13' in Fig.3.) The lever-arm 16is connected by a link 20 with the corresponding arm 13 of the othertransverse series of guide-arms 13.

21 is a downwardly-projecting portion of the table-frame, having abearing against an upright guide-post 22, whose purpose is to guide thetable in its vertical motion. When the table is at its lowest position,shoulders on these parts come into contact and limit the tables motion.

The operation is as follows: When the table is raised from its lowerposition (shown in Figs. 3 and 4.) to its higher position, in order tobring it before the upper series of rollpasses, the guides are raisedwith it, and also the pivotal centers 17 of the arms 15 16; but astheconnection 23 at the outer end-of the arm 15 cannot move verticallythese arms are caused to turn downwardly on their cen-. ters, thusimparting a relatively-downward motion to the bell-cranks 13', therebymoving the connecting-rods 14. lengthwise to the right, and by means ofthe arms 13 turning each of the guides radially on its center of motion12, bringing the partsinto the position shown by dotted lines in Figs. 3and 4, each guide being then shifted to the left, turned laterallyninety degrees, and brought into line with the proper one of the upperline of roll-passes. When the table moves down, a reverse action takesplace, the guides being turned radially and shifted to the right intoproper position for the lower line of roll-passes. To secure accuracy ofaction, the moving parts should be properly proportioned in size, asshown in the drawings. Beneath the line of guides, preferably aboutmidway of their length, I journal one of the feed-rollers 5 and oppositethereto each guide is provided with a lateral opening or gap B,extending at least half-way around the guide, Fig. 4, so that both inits-upper and its lower positions it shall be open at the pointsopposite the roller, thereby causing the contained metal piece to have africtional bearing ther'eon. Important advantages in respect ofcertainty and positiveness of the feeding action of the table aresecured by thus causing the roller to bear on the metal at this advancedpoint. If the guides are of sufficient length to Warrant it, I may usetwo or more feed-rollers 5' below them and may provide the guide with acorresponding number of gaps opposite the rollers.

It will be understood that the feed-tables at both sides of the rollsmay be provided with mechanism constructed as above described, and thatsuch mechanism should be relatively constructed so that the oppositeguides simultaneously move laterally in respectively opposite directionsand to the same extent.

The operation of the apparatus in rolling metal is as follows: The metalbillet, being properly heated,is placed on the feed-table 4 at one sideof the rolls, and the feed-rollers, being driven, carry it up to therolls, where it is introduced by the workman into the pass 0 between thebottom and middle rolls. On its egress at the other side of the rolls itpasses through the fixed guide 8 opposite the pass 0, and thence intoand through the adjacent shifting guide 11. When the rear end of themetal has passed through the fixed guide, but before it has traversedthe shifting guide, the feed-rollers on the receiving-table are stopped,and the tables are then lifted, as shown by dotted lines in Figs. 2, 3,and 4:. The effect of this is to lift the guide 11, containing the endof the metal piece, to the level of the upper roll-passes,and, byoperation of the mechanism above described,to shift the guide laterallyinto line with the fixed guide at the upper pass d, at the same timeturning the guide, and thus turning, also, the contained metal piece onits longitudinal axis. The feed-rollers,being then started, carry thepiece through the shifting guide 11 and guide 8 into the pass d, thencethrough the fixed guide at the other side of the rolls and into andthrough the end one of the series of the shifting guides 11 on the thenreceiving side of the rolls, which guides by lifting of the feed-tablehas been shifted laterally into proper position to receive the same. Thepiece is thus carried through the pass d by the rolls until its rear endhas passed the fixed guide and has'entered the shifting guide. Thefeed-tables are then lowered, thus bringing said shifting guide oppositethe pass e and turning the metal, as above described. The piece is thenfed forward through the pass e, through the fixed guide oppositethereto, and through the second shifting guide of the series on the thenreceiving side of the rolls, which guide, by descent of the table, hasbeen brought opposite to pass 6. The operation is then continued bypassing the metal back and forth and at each pass automaticallyshiftingand turning it laterally until it reaches the last pass m of therolls, from which it is received by the feed-table as a rod in itselongated and finished state.

The advantages of my improvement in respect of the saving'of labor whichresults from the automatic feeding and turning of the metal will beunderstood from the foregoing description. The use of guides providedwith gaps is of especial advantage, since the bearing of the metal onthe feed-roller at an advanced pointinsures the delivery of the metal tothe rolls and makes theaction of the device much more positive andcertain. These open guides may be used even when the actuating mechanismis constructed and arranged as in my said prior patent,'and notconstructed to have a laterally-radial motion.

Changes in the form, construction, and rela tive arrangement of theparts of the apparatus may be made without departure from my invention.For example, instead of a system of levers arranged to be actuatedautomatically on the vertical motion of the table, I

may in like manner to that suggested in myprior patent move the guidesby a lever actuated by hand or by power, said lever being suitablyconnected with the operating-arms of the several guides.

I claim 1. The combination, with rolls and a feed-' table, of a guidesituated over the table and adapted to be turned and a feed-rollerbeneath the guide, the guide having a gap situated opposite to theroller and adapted to expose the piece to contact therewith in bothpositions of the guide, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination, with rolls and a feedtable comprising drivenfeed-rollers, of a guide pivotally and eccentrically mounted on thetable and constructed to be turnedradially on its pivot to shift themetal laterally on the rollers of said table, and mechanism for soturning the guide, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination, with rolls and a vertically-movable feed-tablecomprising driven feed-rollers, of a guide pivotally and eccentricallymounted on the table and constructed to be turned radially on its pivotto shift the metal laterally on the rollers of said table, and aconnection between the guide and a point 0% the table constructed tocause the turning of the guide when the table is moved, substantially asand for the purposes described.

4. The combination, with rolls, of a vertically movable feed-table,guides mounted thereon and pivoted eccentrically, and mechanismconnecting the guides and adapted to guides and adapted to cause theirsimultaneous motion, levers pivotally connected with the feed-table andwith a point off the table, so that on vertical motion of the table theyshall swing laterally,and a connection between the levers and theguide-arms, adapted to transmit to the latter the motions of the levers,substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day ofNovembeaA. D. 1891.

HENRY AIKEN.

Witnesses:

THOMAS W. BAKEWELL, W. B. Conwm.

